Nearly four months ago, supporters of Governor Sarah Palin--including a representative from Smart Girl Politics--were gearing up for the first-ever Grizzly Fest event. Inspired by Sarah's October 5th challenge to "continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the 'fundamental transformation' of our nation, and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law," panelists focused on how to most effectively move forward following Sarah's announcement that she would not make a 2012 bid for the White House. And, move forward they have, supporting strong conservative candidates nationwide. 

This second event, the Online Winter Summit, will focus on sudden and relentless reform. Part one will focus on the watchdogs, with Sarah Nuckles and Adam Andrzejewski, two panelists who are well acquainted with what it means to hold the government accountable. Part two will be hosted by Peter Schweizer, author of the new book "Throw Them All Out," and Luigi Zingales, co-author of "Saving Capitalism From The Capitalists." Together, they will give listeners a crash course in crony capitalism. Part three will focus on the theme of the summit: sudden and relentless reform. Listeners will have the privilege of hearing from Alabama state senator and Congressman Bachus opponent Scott Beason, and Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who is facing a recall election in her state because of the stand she's taken against public sector unions alongside her Governor, Scott Walker. 

The Online Winter Grizzly Fest Summit will be held this Saturday, February 25, at 1:00 PM ET. We encourage you to tune in live right here on Smart Girl Politics Action at 1:00 PM ET, or on the Grizzly Fest website so that you, too, can learn more about returning this great nation to the principles upon which it was founded. 

When I posted previously concerning what I term the contraception deception, I discussed that contraception is not the issue behind conservatives' opposition to the recent Obamacare regulations.  Rather, First Amendment rights are being violated by the Obama Administration. 

Many liberal heavyweights defend the administration’s stance on mandating that religious organizations provide contraception and abortion-inducing drugs, among other procedures, even if such products and procedures are anathema to their religious beliefs. 

Just as Americans were beginning to regain their confidence in the US economy, (albeit largely impart due to some bogus unemployment numbers), it looks as though we are facing yet another crisis, due to rising gas prices.

Iran has decided to stop selling oil to Britain and France because of the sanctions that were put on Iran from Europe. This will likely result in higher prices at the gas pump.

Many believe gas prices will top $4 per gallon, which tends to be the tipping point, where the American psyche starts to panic.

Are you as tired as we are of the left presuming to speak for all women? If you listen to groups like NOW and their lackeys in the mainstream media -- which we do so you don’t have to – you would think that conservatives are trying to strip away contraception from poor, helpless women. Since the left is incapable of being honest about this issue, we will: this has nothing to with being a  “woman issue” and everything to with religious freedom.   And the left doesn’t want Christian Americans to have it.

Here are the facts: Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services, at the behest of President Obama, issued regulations mandating that religious institutions pay for health insurance that covers contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs. That’s right, the government, in an amazingly brash power grab, is telling private, religious-based groups what they can and cannot do, to hell (literally) with their religious objections. And the left, of course, cheers the President, all the while distorting what they know to be the truth: all Americans have access to contraception thanks to federally funded Planned Parenthood clinics and state insurance regulations.

Oh, and heaven forbid someone from the right should use humor to make a prescient point about the Obama administration’s flagrant abuse of power. Yesterday, Foster Friess, a supporter of Rick Santorum, appeared on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell.  While trying to make a pointed, lighthearted observation about the role of personal responsibility in the contraception debate, Friess said:

We maybe need a massive therapy session so we can concentrate on what the real issues are. And this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it’s [so] inexpensive. Back in my day, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.

Mitchell, in true, tired feminist fashion, was flabbergasted. A man having the nerve to talk about a woman’s issue? Gasp. There’s no place for humor when we’re talking about issues that impact women, for these are the most serious of all! Give us a break. All issues are women’s issues and let’s be honest about this one, Andrea: women have, and will continue to have, access to affordable birth control. That changes not a whit. What does change is that this mandate from Obama further erodes the rights of Americans in general, and Catholic institutions in particular. Can we get a gasp for that, please, Andrea?

PS -- For all of those who want "free" contraception, a small reminder:  Nothing in life is free, even if you aren't the one actually paying for it.

Last week we shared with you a new petition from our friends at the Franklin Center in support of bloggers.  Check out the latest op-ed detailing why this protection is even necessary

This past December, federal judge Marco Hernandez of Oregon issued a ruling in the libel trial of Obsidian Finance Group v. Cox that has dangerous First Amendment implications.

Hernandez ruled that blogger Crystal Cox was not entitled to the same protection under media shield laws that other members of the press enjoy. This ruling made it easy for a jury to find her guilty of libel. That result threatens the First Amendment rights of all citizen-journalists.

With the Internet increasingly serving as the dominant source of information, a national debate has been taking place asking the question, who is a journalist? Legal scholars, journalism academics and First Amendment advocates all have their opinions and as expected, there is little agreement.

Read the rest of the article here.

Just days after announcing an accommodation to the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate that failed to exempt religious institutions, President Obama released a deficit-increasing budget – one that includes an expiration of Bush tax cuts, increased dividend taxes, new domestic-spending programs and a host of other provisions that guarantee Congress will never pass it. 

Disregarding projected estimates from the CBO, the President claims his budget includes billions of dollars in federal savings!